Let Me Be
by Here For The Win
Summary: The Brawls, the contact, the excitement of life has been drained away from two people who - even though don't realizing it - strive to connect with each other. Why? Because life's no fun unless they have each other's presence.


_x _**Let Me Be **_x_

"It's over…" She whispered to the red colored sky, watching the sunset with mild amusement as the Sun disappeared behind the houses of her town. She took a deep breath and leaned further over the edge of her balcony, admiring the way her white summer dress floated with the wind, almost like a dance.

For a moment, Runo closed her eyes and just felt it. The way every gust send goosebumps on her skin, how every breeze felt like a small caress, refreshing her mind. Everything was perfect right now – no worries, no desires, no fear – nothing. There was no one around that could pull her out of her state of pure bliss, not a single soul that she had to confront.

Just her on the world. No one else. Just _her_.

She doesn't have a lot to complain about in her life, that's the current problem she can't get rid of. Long gone were the days where she fought for souls other than hers. Her life is as exciting as watching paint dry! She misses those days with a burning passion. She mostly misses her team, her friends. She misses Dan.

She talks to him, sure, she can do that. But the maintenance of Bakugan Interspace became a full time job for the Brawlers – a team she no longer was included in.

Runo took a glance at the sight below her and her lips curved into a frown. The balcony was too high, the ground was too far for her feet to reach. No, she wasn't scared, she was never scared! Did she fall back when fighting evil and protecting Bakugan from destruction? Of course not, she was a savior, a _very_ independent savior. If she could protect both her world as well as others, then she couldn't be afraid of something as trivial as a thirty-feet down distance, right?

The blunette glanced below again. "It _is _pretty tall, I guess." She shivered when the wind became stronger and almost made her lose balance. Runo opened her arms to the side to gain balance and stood motionless until her body stopped shaking. "Phew! That was a close one." A little more force and she would have fallen on her back, but that wouldn't compare to the pain she would feel if she were to fall ahead and break her head on her house's backyard.

She's not suicidal, she doesn't think that low of herself mind you. Runo chuckles at the thought. Nope, not now not never. It's such a degrading way to die! When she faints, she'll faint with glory and will have a rightful death. Not this.

She's a fighter, a savior. Remember?

"Runo! We have tea and sweets for an afternoon snack, would you like some?" Her mother booms happily from down the stairs.

"Yes!" The response comes out cheerfully and she descends from the top of the balcony's edge with light footing and happy mood. No one would ever notice that just moments ago she was on the verge of danger, barely outside the walls of her room.

"_I don't enjoy it when you do that."_

Runo turned her head around to the source of the voice and smiled once she saw her fellow partner and friend on top of her bed's pillow, curled up in that white ball that she came to feel so well after so many years. "Oh come on Tigrerra, don't worry so much! I've done this tons of times and you know it."

"_Unfortunatly." _Runo rolled her eyes. _"It still keeps me concerned Runo, why do you feel the need to do rash things like balancing over there? What if you fell?"_

"I'm not going to fall, I still got the agility dummy!" She sent her a goofy grin and knelled next to her bed. "You should try it sometimes, it's a great feeling! Just you, the wind-"

"_-the danger of falling and breaking a neck." _Tigrerra un-curled from her ball form and hoped closer to the azure-haired girl. _"It's because of the adrenalin isn't it? The rush of blood runs faster with every pump of your heart, the thumping sounds are the only thing your ears can hear, a sour taste of unbalance ruins out every thought you have and the only thing you can feel is nothing more than the present, the moment."_

Runo blinked. "But isn't that good? Living for the present that is. Isn't that what everyone advises people to do?"

Even if Tigrerra's head couldn't move, she could see that her head was turning from side to side in disapproval. _"We Bakugan call that a 'feeling of survival', something that only awakens when our life is in danger. Do you want your life to be in danger?"_

There was silence. Not a single thing seemed to be alive for about twenty whole seconds, not a leave dancing with the wind or a chirp escaping from a bird's beak. All together Runo's chest stopped moving while she remembered the reason that took her to do something like playing balancing-in-the-circus-rope in her own house.

Because no one would have seen her fall, no one would have felt her pain if she lost her footing as well as the being in front of her. She rubbed the sweat that suddenly tickled down her forehead and sighed.

Because Tigrerra was right. She misses something and relies on 'adrenalin', apparently, to replace was she lost.

The little Bakugan hoped to her friend's shoulder and nudged her cheek, bringing her back to Earth. _"Can I help? We can brawl again, we can fight to protect again. Runo, we are The Brawlers and we still have it within our hearts. Just say it and we can go."_

Another voice, Runo's mom voice, was heard again from down the stairs. "Runo! What's the matter darling? Should I go up there?"

"No, no need! It'll be just a sec!" She answered and she could hear the faint steps of her mother walking away to the kitchen again. Then, she turned to her partner. "We still can't, remember?"

Both of them remembered well. Their battle against Mylene and Lync from the Vexos, her stubbornness and lack of power that led Mira to lose the Subterra energy and thus leaving the enemy with another point in favor to attack. The final decision that led to her team to be left out from the final fight, stating that they would only brawl if really necessary. Both her and Tigrerra knew well that none of them were ready to fight again, both still weren't ready, even after all this time they still needed training.

Runo stood up and spun on her heel to walk towards her desk. Then, she placed her partner on top of the wooden table and pressed a small greenish button next to a peculiar, circular-looking device, making a blue light appear from above it.

Tigrerra stood quiet and motionless.

"Don't push yourself too hard and I promise that I'll stop testing my balance skills." She smiled sadly but with truth in her eyes. "I know that you've been working to become more powerful back in New Vestroia, but I don't want that as much as you don't want me doing rash things." She traced the outline of the ball with a finger. "Even though I can't see them, every time you visit me I can feel more scars on your body. Don't do that, we'll get stronger together and return to the brawls as the best of them all! We'll even beat Dan and gain first place!"

At this the tiger looked away from the portal and into a pair of emerald eyes with curiosity. _"Are you going to see him?"_

The blunette closed her eyes in a moment of thought. Daniel Kuso… He had sent her a free ride ticket for her to come see him at his new house for quite a long time. She never gave him an answer after they cut off connections; because work on his side had been a lot and she knew that if she went there she would only make things worse. Just like last time.

"_Half of your actions… It's because you miss him, right?"_

Maybe it is true. Shun lives around the block and their relationship has improved because they actually talk now, Marucho comes to her café from time to time (he sure has the money for it anyways) and gives her updates on everyone, Joe found a house in the area and now lives near, Alice and her grandfather come sleep at her home when they have time and Julie phones her every week for a girl talk. But the one person that she would like to speak is Dan, and for a whole year she hasn't heard of him nor felt him.

"_Runo…"_ She shook her head.

"No more rash actions, got it. And yes, I'm going to see him the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

"_No, I'll stay in New Vestroia for four days straight. I have some errands to run." _The tiger looked up before rolling onto the blue light. _"Unless I feel your call, then I'll be back for you."_

She couldn't help it – besides Dan, only her fellow Bakugan could make her smile like this. "Thank you Tigrerra, bye now."

"_Goodbye."_

Silence came again while Runo pondered on what to do next. She stared at the transporter Alice had given her in order to make contact with Tigrerra who had to return to her home in New Vestroia after restoring peace over there. Suddenly, an immense excitement filled her from the inside as she stretched her body – in two days she was going to see Dan, which was a good reason to try and act better!

After grinning from ear to ear, she walked down the stair with sweets and tea and Daniels on her mind.

_**~BaKuGaN~**_

Runo halted near a stop sign and leaned in cold metal, cooling her hot face and over-working brain. The ride had _not _been the best. She had always hated long travels, it just made her stomach churn a turn and making her mouth taste the bits of food that she ate before.

"Not-Not… G-Good…" She managed to stutter out. From the corner of her eye she spotted a small café and decided to sit on some tables outside, maybe order some water and bread for her sickness. Her mom always gave her those on sick days, she never knew why but now she's accustomed to it.

After sitting down and speaking to the waitress, the once haos brawler placed her head between her hands and tried once more to calm her nerves by breathing with a steady pace. One more thing that she never got used to, calming her nerves. She will always be Runo Misaki, the tomboy who never plays for safe and throws rocks to enemies and friends without hearing an explanation first.

"You should be here right now you idiot." She whispered to herself. Yes, Dan had promised to meet her somewhere near the taxi's stop but he still wasn't here. What was taking him so long? Did something happen with the Bakugan _once again_? Instead of Dan, would Julie appear and inform her that this week would be spent with her instead of the pyrus brawler?

The azure-haired girl looked down to herself and scanned her choice of clothes for today. A white blouse that reached her thighs with sleeves rolled up to her elbows together with a pair of blue, tight jeans and nothing more. Her shoes were simple sneackers, her hair let down and despite her age, she still couldn't bring herself to wear make-up. A pretty casual thing to wear when you're about to see the one person you've been fanning about for as long as she's been. She eyed the travel bag settled by her side and thought of changing into something more _revealing_ but quickly shot the thought down.

What did she have to reveal anyway? A pair of small tits?

Heat tripled on her face at the same time that her head when ice-cold with the sudden thoughts. What was she thinking! They weren't even dating or anything like that! He probably had a girlfriend by now or something.

The idea of that hurt more than what she thought.

What if he already had someone special inside his heart? Her head sunk between her arms as she nested her cheek on her forearm, lying her head down completely over the table. He certainly deserved it.

Dan the Man, not good old Danny boy. Now a young man, someone to trust, a hero at the eyes of the people who understand his hard work. She? She's a memory of a time when she still had something within her to fight for, but was now apparently lost.

"_Oh my, what's that?"_

A screeching sound, something losing control - just like her life, a huge amount of uncontrolled time.

"_Let's get out of here!"_

How awesome would it be if she could get out. Or maybe get home, to her room, to her balcony, to the feeling of the gust sending goosebumps up her skin and every breeze caressing and refreshing her mind. Where everything was perfect, where there was nothing else but her.

"_Look out! LOOK OUT! __**LOOK OUT!**__"_

_Beep! _Sweep… _Crash! BANG!_

"RUNO!"

"Strange…" She whispered to the red colored sky, watching the sun hiding behind houses, the scene quite familiar to her as she lay down on the concrete road. "I can even hear his voice right now." And then everything went black.

_**~BaKuGaN~**_

"…ok. J..t nee… rest."

It was all a blur of colors and faint noises. She tried to move but couldn't, instead, a muffled pain soared from one side of her head to the other causing her to groan. Her hand shot up to rub her temples but something halted her move. Another hand.

"R…o, Runo! Are you okay?" She tried to take her hand away from the grasp it was into but couldn't, so she settled to push the voice away with her other hand. To her surprise but slight delight, the feeling of a warm chest underneath her small palms greeted her. She could have smiled, but it hurt too much.

"Stop. Yelling." She grunted through clenched teeth and pressed her eyelids.

She felt movement beside her and pried one eye open halfway, trying to make out what exactly happened for her head to feel like it had just been hit by a stampede of twenty elephants. "Sorry 'bout that." The voice said in a much softer tune.

"Thank you." Was all she could mutter. The warm hand that once cupped her wrist was now tracing her face, from the top of her forehead through her cheek and down to her chin and neck. It stopped there and brushed her collarbone, the warmth started spreading and Runo even dared to think that it was actually soothing her mind from all the knots.

"I just talked to Julie on the phone right now." The voice announced. "I told her about the incident and she got all fussy, but she won't be arriving until tomorrow because I begged her to give you some rest."

"…begged?" And also, Julie? What did she had to do with her elephant-derived pain?

The voice let out a guttural chuckle. "Yeah, well… You know how Julie gets over small things, just imagine how she got when she heard you got hurt."

"…hurt? Julie?" That made her push all grogginess aside and raise her chest just enough to sit, apparently, on a bed. A bad move that she regretted after.

Runo lost her footing for a moment, a dizziness took hold of her body and she gripped her head with sheer force, groaning along the way. When she felt that she was going to fall – not from the balcony, but from a sitting position and to the side – a pair of strong, warm arms grabbed her a little too roughly. But she didn't mind, she actually felt relieved.

It took a while, but her vision returned soon after the contact. Faint blurs became neat lines and disturbing noises turned out to be her name, spoken over and over again from lips she longed to touch with her own.

"Dan?" Her tone held more than surprise, it was etched with concern for she did not understand the worry in that the shine of the moon lit in his eyes nor the panic in his voice or the way her held onto her – like she was a porcelain doll, like she could break at any moment. This was not the boy she came to know. "Dan? What's wrong? Why do you look like that? God-dammit why is it so dark in here! What happened Dan? Tell me!"

"Calm down!" He snapped. She regained what was left of herself before she broke down again, the absurd pain in her head not leaving her for even a second of peace. She tried to grip her ears this time but he caught her to it, dropping his own rough ones at the sides while she placed hers on top of his. "You had a little accident after arriving. A car lost control on the wheel and jumped into the street you were into. He didn't get you, but God was I scared." He released a nervous laugh at the memory.

"I was hit by a car?" If her palms didn't feel so good on top of his she would have planted them on her hips. "Don't joke with me Dan Kuso, I would be at a Hospital right now if a car had hit me." She glanced around. "And this does _not _look like a Hospital." She added after noticing a few posters on a wall next to the window.

"Acctually, you're in my 'emergency room', it was the fastest place I could take you to." At her confusion, he explained. "Marucho arranged a room near the main gates for Bakugan Interspace, just in case we were too tired to go home or stay in wait for some sort of an emergency call. But never mind that, just to clear up your mind, you didn't _exactly_ got hit by a car."

She glared at him. His constant change of topics weren't helping her headache at all. "Explain it at once please, I really need to sleep."

"Sorry, but the doctor said that once you woke up you needed to stay awake for at least five more hours- I'll explain, let me get to that. I saw it all, since the car lost control to seeing you on his way with your eyes shielded from the world. I-I just reacted on impulse and our landing wasn't the best. I fell on top of you and you hit the back of your head on the edge of the street." She looked at him with wide eyes before closing them, just to avoid his vision. "When I saw blood coming from your scalp I panicked and- but the doctor in charge said that you were ok! You only needed some time to recover, that's all!"

Tentatively, she traced her scalp with her knuckles until the texture of sutures were felt, four stitches to be exact. Dan saw as tears started to gather at the corners of her eyes and pressed her face close to his chest, not caring if her salty water would moisten his shirt or not.

"I-It's okay Runo. I'm so sorry, really. I didn't know it would end up like that. They sent you off early because it wasn't a grave situation, but it doesn't hurt anymore does it? We can go back." Runo shook her head no, but he knew that some part of her was still in pain since she still didn't stop crying. "I brought you here and closed the lights until you got up. It's already nighttime but-"

"Why?" She gripped his shirt and buried her face on the crook of her neck. "You idiot! Why!" Gently, Dan caressed her back while pulling her closer. "Why did you do that? You could have died you idiot, jerk, stupid, moron-"

His lips came in contact with hers and she stopped struggling within his arms. It was a fast but sweet kiss, one she dreamed of receiving from him since a long time ago. She could feel his teeth as he grinned on top of her mouth. "I always wondered if this was enough to keep you quiet." With his thumb he cleaned some tears that were escaping down her cheeks, a faint red hue adorning his handsome features. "Don't tell me you're crying because of that. Why shouldn't I have done it?"

That's why he saved her? He felt the need to barge in and make a move, the need to be a hero again because, God be dammed if Daniel Kuso wasn't around to serve as little children's role model. Putting his life in danger just for the sake of it, and not caring about the way his presence would be missed in the world.

No, she couldn't think like that, she's just annoyed because this time he threw himself because of her. With a force she didn't knew she possessed, Runo gripped her friend's shoulders and threw him onto the mattress.

"Runo? Hey, what's the matter?" She leaned in and kissed him again, this time prolonging the contact longer. Her moistened tongue licked his bottom lip and trailed his teeth and then poked his tongue as if experimenting. She had never done this before, and she had a feeling that her inexperience was starting to be noted by the person she was trying to impress.

But all Dan could process at the moment was the feeling of this girl on top of him, her hips rocking against his and her lips working wonders and making his mind go numb and blank. Even so, something didn't felt ok. She seemed eager, too eager.

"Have you ever done thi-" He was cut off again by her ravishing mouth. This time, Runo travelled even further and she trailed his jaw with sloppy but arousing kisses. With every lick from her, Dan's mind bounced up and down, went to the stars and came back to agonize him even more with the realization that _this_ was actually happening.

The brown haired boy missed this touch, and the fact that in this moment what he longed to do for a long time to a girl he loved too much to forget was progressing into something more than simple kisses was driving him crazy. But something _wasn't_ right.

Runo took his shirt off and started kissing his chest as lightly as she did in his jaw. Her hands trailed his abdomen, her fingernails leaving faint, pinkish marks down his stomach. Between shivers from his part and trembles from her, she raised her arms just enough to pull her battered, partially stained blouse. Dan watched with a growing arousal the movement increasing spot of flesh from her chest to her belly that was being uncovered. Her soft, pale skin shined with the moonlight and his hands couldn't help it, they pushed her down again for a kiss.

Something didn't go well because she yelped, not from surprise from his action, but from slight pain. It was then that he understood the sudden desire for Runo to please him, and he wasn't happy by it at all.

"Don't do it like that." He whispered with a husky voice that sent a blush up her face. Dan thought that was cute, since it extended down her neck and made her breasts look perkier under her bra. With his forehead pressed to hers he smiled warmly and gently turned her body so that she was under him and not on top. His lips planted a hot kiss behind her ear and she pressed her eyelids closed. "Don't… force yourself…"

His tongue darted out and left a trail from her ear to the top of her breasts. With a tender pace he pushed the top of the fabric down a bit, just so that her nipples would come out for him to see. She was assaulted by embarrassment in that moment as she remembered that never before someone saw as much of her body as now. Runo tried to cover them with her arms but Dan wouldn't have that, he grabbed her wrists and pushed them above her head.

And then Runo did the unthinkable – she moaned. She moaned _his name_.

His head looked up to see a very flustered Runo, trying to hide her blush behind her arms. Dan groaned at the image. A partially naked Runo was lying under him, vulnerable as ever, and she had just _moaned _his_ name_. This was too much, after going up one more time to kiss her, his mouth snaked its way to the first breast.

Under him, Runo mewed under his touch, trembling while his mouth switched from nipple to nipple and making chills running up and down her spine. His palms ran by her sides and descended to her thighs, rubbing them while approaching her core without her notice.

When his hands touched her center she yelped and jumped up. It was embarrassing, too embarrassing. It was her first time with this all and her initial idea was to do… stuff… to him… a different thank you with- OK – maybe her initial plan wasn't going so well.

"Relax." His voice again. It was making the hairs behind her neck stand tall.

"Nhrgg…" She would have spoken correctly if he wasn't touching her between her legs. Dan chuckled and kissed her once more, nipping her bottom lip for attention and drowning another moan from her throat.

Slowly, pulled down her jeans together with her panties. Runo didn't notice what was happening until her clothes were by the floor, landing with a small thud. One more time she tried to cover herself and pressed her thighs together, but he caught her first and nested his hips between hers, prohibiting her from cover.

"Mnhmm, c-come on D-Da-an." She whimpered once his tongue went up to play with her earlobe once again. Suddenly he stopped.

She looked at him with heavy eyelids. He stared right back at her, the hot, moisten breath tickling her sensitive skin. "Can I?" He asked with slight fear and nudged her nose with his. "You don't have to do this because you think it's necessary. I mean, I love you, and this can wait. I saved you because I love you Runo, I can live without, you know, _s-sex_… But I can't live without you."

The blunette buried her head on the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent. Words couldn't describe the things she was feeling right now, nothing could. Did he really mean what he had said?

Dan took out the rest of his clothes and nested his member at her entrance. "Just breathe, okay?" She nodded and so, Dan's arousal touched her sensitive skin.

Keeping all the air in wasn't going to do anything good to her so she tried to breathe normally while the pain and discomfort grew to worse levels. Dan's voice continued to soothe her however, so, while she gripped his shoulders for dear life, he started moving even deeper. "Ohh God…" She groaned, finding out that he was just as tense as she was. It was such a foreign feeling, having a man entering inside her like this.

When all his length went inside, he halted so that Runo could catch a breather. Her heart was a mess, something he could feel because of their proximity. Her fingernails were marking his back with sheer pressure, but he couldn't find it within himself to mind. It must be somewhat painful. He tried to speak but couldn't, instead, his words came out in the form of groans of pleasure. She was squeezing him and it felt wonderful, so it was awful to think that such a unique sensation was paining her.

It had happened. Dan had broken through her barrier and was now looming still over her, mustering all his will to pump rashly into her for her sake, because he felt that it hurt. He was too nice for his own good. "You can move."

"O-Okay." He trusted once just to try and after the realization that even with a tinge of pain she still found it extremely good, Runo didn't want him to stop. She urged him for more and more and after some time passed with a slow pace they quickly were wrapped in a dance. It felt like heaven.

Every moan they exchanged, every pump of his hips tangling along with hers and every kiss they traded were in synch. Everything they did at the moment was something so new yet it felt like it was being practiced and bettered from over the years. His member rubbed at her insides and made her see stars behind her eyelids. She wondered if their voices were being heard somewhere outside. She doesn't remember seeing if the house was secluded or somewhat deep into Bayview city – oh, who is she kidding. She doesn't remember anything since she came to town, but Bakugan Interspace's gates shouldn't be too far so-

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her body that started to betray her in the worst way possible. There was a chill that came from the bottom to the top of her spine and she arched her back and moaned even louder. She couldn't take it anymore; all of this was just too overwhelming. One more trust was enough and Runo circled the brunette's neck in a stronger lace. It lasted long enough, so she screamed her release.

Her body was smoth under his touch, soft and pale like an angel. Beneath him she looked stuning, a sight that he only dreamed of until now. Her petite breasts danced up and down along with each trust, her face making the most cute faces and her mouth releasing arousing sounds. Truly, he would never let go of her, never again. He rammed into her and she gasped, moaned, mewed, groaned- exclaimed every possible and impossible sound. It was difficult to keep up with the pace if she continued to agonize him so.

She, already sweaty and extremely sensitive from what was her first orgasm, pushed him to her again. Trying to find some kind of leverage she supported her arms on his shoulders and did her best to stay sane during the whole time. He couldn't help it.

Dan kissed her one more time before releasing himself inside her. In the true state of bliss that he was into he found enough strength to push his member more three times before collapsing by her side, grabbing her and placing her body next to him so that she wouldn't get away. He pulled the sheets to cover both their bodies and kissed her forehead, dropping his chin gently on her head as he still didn't knew if it still hurt her or not.

She trembled. "Are you okay?" He asked unsurely, trying to look into her eyes to check if she wasn't tired enough to sleep. There were tears gathered at the edge of her blue irises so he panicked. "Whoa! WhaT's wrong Runo? Does it still hurt? Are you okay?"

She shook her head no. "You seem to be asking that a lot lately."

He turned his head away, a heavy blush dancing along his cheeks. "I'm worried." He said as he pulled her closer. "But seriously, how do you feel?"

Runo didn't knew if he was talking about her physically or psycologycally so she tried to change the conversation. "Hey, where's Drago?"

At this, Dan blinked and then laughed. "Nice way to change the topic Runo." She hit his chest jokingly but he only chuckled at her cuteness. "I sent him away for today, he's spending the day with Marucho. That way I could stay with you."

He felt a sob and looked down. "Next time, don't try to kill yourself." She didn't knew if he understood what she meant with those words, because she knew all too well that the adrenaline felt at a moment of danger was nothing compared to normal life. To his surprise, he answered:

"Only for you."

She felt like crying again. Nothing could compare to this, the trade lf words that was happening right now. She loved him too much, which reminded her. "I love you."

Dan looked down with surprise but she had already beat him to it and hid her blush on his chest, once again. He grinned but replaced it with a warm smile soon after. But then his mind processed an awesome joke that just had to be said. "With all the fun we're going to have from now on, playing hero will kind'a loose its fun you know."

She blushed, understanding completely what he meant with _'all the fun we're going to have from now on'_. She hit him on the head, but smiled right after. "Idiot."

_**~BaKuGaN~**_

"Tigrerra! Jump to the side and strike! It's his weak point!"

"Alright!"

There was a loud crash and a great amount of smoke escaped from behind Tristar. "AHHH! MY FREAKIN' BACK'S ON FIRE!"

Marucho screamed as loud as he could for his partner to hear. "Stay focused Tristar! You're not in fire, you're protected by a water veil!"

The aquos bakugan halte, turned around and pondered. "Hmm… That makes sense." But he didn't have the time to escape in time and soon, Tigrerra's attack came in full force again.

The blond brawler sweatdropped and glanced at Runo. "I guess today is not a good day for us huh…" But at the sight of his friend's smile he beamed. "But we won't give up Runo! We can still win!"

Runo grinned and positioned her ability card. "You wish!" She joked.

In at the background, Shun and Dan leaned against a wall examining the brawl from a distance. They stood there on the training field for a moment, watching with amusement as Runo came towards Marucho with more energy than ever. Shun was the first to break the silence. "I would like to brawl you too."

Dan perked his ears. "Huh?" He took a moment to ponder and then answered grinning. "Any time pall, any time. But why the sudden urge?"

Shun only chuckled to himself. "I get the feeling that Runo's not the only one with energy to spare." Dan blinked once, then twice and then answered.

"I don't get it."

Drago sighed and hoped to Dan's shoulders as Shun walked away with a smile on his lips. _"He means that you two seem a lot brighter since your 'get together' a week ago. I have to agree though, battles are a lot more amusing since she finally came."_

Dan blinked once again but then was assaulted by a deep blush. "What do you mean with that! I always brawled good enough!"

"_Of course."_ Drago rolled his eyes.

And while their 'talk' continued on the side, no one noticed the change that Runo was taking inside, nor the way that she smiled with more brightness because suddenly, standing on the edge of balcony's wasn't as good as a warm hug – nothing more than a warm hug – from the person she most loved in the world. Tigrerra approved, and smiled.


End file.
